Olivia Wilde wows Sundance, 'The Invite' earns standing ovation, actor-director left in tears

Hollywood actor Olivia Wilde has left fans and the audience at the Sundance Film Festival highly impressed, thanks to her latest cinematic outing, 'The Invite'. Wilde, who directs and co-stars in the couples' dramedy, was moved to tears over the rousing response as the film was unveiled at the festival on Saturday, as per Variety. The house was packed with several industry stalwarts, who cheered loudly for the film, which also features Penelope Cruz, Seth Rogen, and Edward Norton. Speaking at the screening, an overwhelmed Wilde told the crowd, "This was the dream, to premiere right here for you guys. We just dug into it with generosity and poured a spirit into it with personal ideas. The cast brought this creative energy every day."As the credits rolled, the actor returned to the stage when she received a standing ovation, leaving her in tears. "I heard a wise person say, you're never as vulnerable as when you're laughing. And I think that the great thing about this group is it allowed us to take people on that journey, to let them laugh, let them relax, and then just gut punch them," she shared about her performance, as quoted by Variety. While expressing her gratitude, Wilde also offered a nod to Sundance founder Robert Redford, who passed away at 89 last year. 'The Invite' follows the story of a resentful couple (Wilde and Rogen), who are hosting their new neighbours (Cruz and Norton). However, what follows is a series of madness, including aggressive standoffs, food allergies, tequila shots, and much more. The film is a remake of the Spanish movie 'Sentimental'. Besides 'The Invite', the festival also saw standing ovations gaining traction for films like Olivia Colman's 'Wicker', 'Fing!', and Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan starrer 'Josephine' following their screenings.